"People, I've had an epiphany. A hero cannot exist in a vacuum. What our story needs is an ironic, unexpected event that will propel the hero into conflict." - Johnny Depp as Rango, 'Rango' (2011)
In 1977, Will Wright published Sixguns and Society: A Structural Study of the Western. This deconstruction of the American film form sought to trace the popularity of the genre's common narrative and aesthetic qualities. Wright found that the Western film concerns itself with the myth of the untamed American frontier and such a frontier being brought to order through a developing, industrialized social culture.
Alright, but how does that relate to effect pedals? That's a good question. Among the many names known for taming the boutique effect pedal frontier, EarthQuaker Devices today plays the role of our Western hero. Our hero now returns to one of their original creations that first broke ground on the proverbial boutique effect pedal frontier for a limited-edition release. Giddy up.
This is the EarthQuaker Devices Dirt Transmitter Rancho De La Luna.
Moonlighting
Introducing the EarthQuaker Dirt Transmitter Rancho De La Luna
Early 2023 brought EarthQuaker Devices founder Jamie Stillman to Rancho De La Luna, the recording studio of guitarist and producer Dave Catching for a session to commemorate thirty years of the Joshua Tree-based recording space. An alumnus of such bands as Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal, Catching knows his way around a dirt pedal. Catching's affinity for dirt inspired Stillman to utilize an EQD Dirt Transmitter on the sessions. One of the brand's oldest models, the Dirt Transmitter first began shipping in 2008 before eventually being discontinued in 2017.
Initially shipping with only three controls, Fuzz, Tone and Level, Stillman quickly added a control for Bias to add an impressive amount of nuance to the Fuzz Face-style tone. Bias, a control soon proving crucial to the personality of the effect, was an option for customization fueled by the inclusion of a rare type of silicon transistors that behaved like germanium transistors for a unique sonic profile. These particular silicon transistors played with a distinctly lower-gain profile and a top-end grind similar to other silicon-based fuzzes. All of these factors together made the Dirt Transmitter a classic among the EQD line and today, the stars over the Joshua Tree desert align to bring this classic back for a limited time.
For fans of EarthQuaker's back catalog of effect classics, this Dirt Transmitter arrives just in time for a loving helping of Fuzz Face-style fuzz and distortion. Let's get into some specifics.
Ranch Life
EarthQuaker Devices Dirt Transmitter Rancho De La Luna Controls
With the Dirt Transmitter Rancho De La Luna, EarthQuaker revives a classic EQD effect setup. Onboard, we have four effect control dials. Let's run these down.
- Volume – Our fuzz level control. No surprises here. Clockwise for louder, counterclockwise for quieter. We'll have some interesting mixes stoked by this control in a minute, but for now, your basic volume control.
- Fuzz – Our fuzz effect mix. While the fuzz effect of the Dirt Transmitter is distinctly in a Fuzz Face camp, the Fuzz control actually does quite a bit in shaping the character of the Fuzz, not just its amount in the signal. Rolling through the Fuzz control, we actually have quite a bit of space with distortion-leaning tones before noon and distinctly spikey and fiery fuzz tones after noon.
- Tone – Our fuzz frequency control. Again, this control operates pretty intuitively with sharper tones after noon and duller tones before noon. This control will work alongside our Fuzz and Bias control to create interesting effect conclusions.
- Bias – Our fuzz form control. Probably the control that defines this effect the most, Bias will starve the effect signal to make for a fuzz that sputters and chokes. If you're looking for the most full and reliable fuzz mix, turn Bias all the way clockwise to max out its effect fidelity. Anywhere else on the Bias control will produce a lessened fuzz effect characterized by a thinner, gated profile.
Between these four controls, we have a highly interactive mix of parameters that can create a vast array of fuzz tones as propelled by the Bias control. At the center of the Dirt Transmitter is a conversation between each of the four controls that inspires different distorted directions. In essence, if you're a fuzz fiend, it won't take long before you find yourself head over heels for something the Dirt Transmitter dishes out.
Pure Lunacy
EarthQuaker Devices Dirt Transmitter Rancho De La Luna Tones
Let's get into some sounds. Spanning the tonal palette of the Dirt Transmitter, we have a varied array of fuzzes, drives, and distortions. Our basic formula for tone-crafting essentially comes down to mixing between the Fuzz and Bias control, where Fuzz alters the distorted character of the effect and Bias stokes or starves the fuzzy flame. The Dirt Transmitter can produce a range of sounds from a full-bodied distortion to a searing fuzz to a sputtering sizzle and all offer their own use cases. Check out some of these sounds to kick off with the Dirt Transmitter:
Bad Moon RisingAs we've already touched on, the Dirt Transmitter is not resigned to only being a fiery fuzz. By rolling the Fuzz control to a little past noon, the Tone control slightly before it, and maxing out the Bias control, the Dirt Transmitter summons a full-bodied distortion that plays with hints of fuzzy breakup. Drop in this setting and roar through all your chord-rich rock songs with formidable, distorted muscle.
Marquee MoonWe can't help but push the envelope when it comes to a Fuzz Face. Cranking up the Fuzz and Tone to about 3:00 on the dial and inching back on the Bias control from fully clockwise will inject the fiery and sputtering fuzz tone you've come to know and love from a Fuzz Face. Introducing that slight decrease of Bias will destabilize the signal just the right amount to add some extra character when soloing or hitting single notes. The desert ain't the only thing to make you sweat out here.
Mosquito SongSince we've got our Bias control, we can't help but want to really test it, right? Aiming the Tone and Fuzz at high noon and reeling the Bias back before noon will truly show off how starved the effect can get. Moving the Bias before noon introduces the capacity for failure where our fuzz effect gets truly sputtering and into that distinct Velcro-tearing territory. This gating of the fuzz can also produce sounds similar to those you'd find in signal-simplifying fuzzes, as if you were playing a Blue Box. You're sure to hear hints of simplified 8-Bit style fuzzes with a signal so starved, so don't fear the lowered signal fidelity and get creative!
EarthQuaker Devices Dirt Transmitter Rancho De La Luna Final Thoughts
With this limited release from EQD, we're treated to a great look into the history books. EarthQuaker's classic Dirt Transmitter gets a new coat of paint and a well-deserved revival with this Rancho De La Luna version. Players looking for a return of one of EQD's earliest releases or for a fresh take on Fuzz Face drives absolutely need to pay attention to this limited edition pedal, though we don't think you had to have read this far to come to that conclusion.
The fiery sounds of the effect pedal Wild West have been revived. It doesn't seem like it's been that long since EarthQuaker first took on the boutique frontier, but the years have certainly gone by, like it or not. With the Dirt Transmitter Rancho De La Luna, a classic EarthQuaker Devices fuzz rides once again.
Roll credits.
